Conversion and Display of a User Input

ABSTRACT

Described herein are methods and systems allowing a company to market and advertise its brands, products and/or services in a mobile platform by use of an application converting a user input into a corresponding branded icon, logo or image and displaying the same. The user input is in the form of a text entry containing a pre-defined term corresponding to one or more branded images, icons or logos. By allowing a user to select one of the displayed branded images or logos, the application is able to trigger a number of third party applications associated with the selected branded image, icon or logo.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application is a divisional of U.S. utility patentapplication Ser. No. 15/849,667, titled “Conversion and Display of aUser Input,” filed Dec. 21, 2017, which is a continuation-in-part of theU.S. utility patent application Ser. No. 15/293,161, titled “Conversionand Display of a User Input,” filed on Oct. 13, 2016. Each of the aboveapplications is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to enhancing digital marketingin mobile devices, and more particularly, to methods and systemsautomatically converting a user input into a corresponding branded icon,logo or image and displaying the same in mobile communicationapplications.

BACKGROUND

With the popular use of mobile devices (e.g., smart phones, cell phones,tablets, etc.), today's digital environment has profoundly changed: moreand more people use mobile devices rather than web-based computers toquickly search, retrieve, view and share information with their friendsand contacts in a global scale. Particularly, the proliferation ofvarious mobile communication applications, such as SMS/Text, MMS,Instant Messaging (IM), iMessage, Blackberry Message, Samsung Chaton,Facebook Message, Twitter, WhatsApp, Skype, WeChat, and so forth, allowspeople to contact and communicate with their friends and contacts at anytime and from anywhere. When people text each other using any of theseapplications, it is customary practice to shorten certain words and/oruse emotional icons or images in their messages. In fact, most of theseapplications provide built-in “emoticons” for users to choose and insertin their text messages, although the available “emoticons” might belimited depending on specific configurations of these applications.

In view of the ever-changing digital environment, many companies haveincreasingly adopted mobile devices and applications installed thereinas another marketing and advertising platform, in addition toconventional media such as newspaper, billboards, TV, radio, onlinesearch engine (e.g., Google) and websites accessible through computerslinked to the Internet. For example, companies may specially create amobile version of their advertisements (e.g., commercial banners) to bedisplayed at the edge or in the corner of a smart phone screen uponactivation of certain applications in mobile devices. However, unlikeconventional media such as newspaper, billboards, TV and web pages, mostmobile devices, such as iPhone and Android phones, have very limiteddisplay space for displaying advertisements. As a result, oftentimespeople find those advertisements distractive and even offensive forblocking or interfering with their viewing of digital contents in mobiledevices.

Therefore, a need exists for advertising and marketing companies'brands, products and services in the mobile platform in an easy,effective and non-intrusive manner. On the other hand, there isconceivable benefit for mobile device users if company logos can beused, displayed or otherwise incorporated seamlessly in mobilecommunication applications, similar to “emoticons,” for immediate visualattention.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The presently disclosed embodiments are directed to solving issuesrelating to one or more of the problems presented in the prior art, aswell as providing additional features that will become readily apparentby reference to the following detailed description when taken inconjunction with the accompanying drawings.

One embodiment is directed to a method for converting and displaying auser input in a mobile device, comprising: receiving a user input in amobile communication application, said user input comprising a textentry of one or more keywords; displaying one or more pre-defined imageentries corresponding to at least one of the keywords in the user input,each image entry comprising a branded icon or logo; receiving a userselection of said at least one of said pre-defined image entries fromthe displayed image entries; and in response to said user selection,performing one or more actions associated with said at least one of saidpre-defined image entries from the displayed image entries.

Another embodiment is directed to a non-transitory computer readablemedium comprising executable instructions, the executable instructions,while executed, causing a processor to perform the steps of receiving auser input in a mobile communication application, said user inputcomprising a text entry of one or more keywords; displaying one or morepre-defined image entries corresponding to at least one of the keywordsin the user input, each image entry comprising a branded icon or logo;receiving a user selection of said at least one of said pre-definedimage entries from the displayed image entries; and in response to saiduser selection, performing one or more actions associated with said atleast one of said pre-defined image entries from the displayed imageentries.

Further features and advantages of the present disclosure, as well asthe structure and operation of various embodiments of the presentdisclosure, are described in detail below with reference to theaccompanying drawings

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present disclosure, in accordance with one or more variousembodiments, is described m detail with reference to the followingfigures. The drawings are provided for purposes of illustration only andmerely depict exemplary embodiments of the disclosure. These drawingsare provided to facilitate the reader's understanding of the disclosureand should not be considered limiting of the breadth, scope, orapplicability of the disclosure. It should be noted that for clarity andease of illustration these drawings are not necessarily made to scale.

FIG. 1 is a high-level overview of an exemplary system in whichembodiments of the invention can be implemented;

FIG. 2 illustrates exemplary web-based as well as mobile applications inwhich embodiments of the invention can be implemented;

FIGS. 3a-f illustrate exemplary screen shots of a mobile application forconverting a user input into a corresponding branded icon, logo or imageaccording to embodiments of the invention;

FIGS. 4a-b illustrate exemplary screen shots of additional features ofthe mobile application in FIGS. 3a-f according to embodiments of theinvention;

FIG. 5 is an exemplary screen shot of additional features of the mobileapplication in FIGS. 3a-f according to embodiments of the invention;

FIGS. 6a-g illustrate exemplary screen shots of additional features ofthe mobile application in FIGS. 3a-f according to embodiments of theinvention;

FIG. 7 is a simplified functional block diagram of an exemplary computerthat can be implemented in the exemplary system of FIG. 1;

FIG. 8 is a simplified functional block diagram of an exemplary mobiledevice that can be implemented in the exemplary system of FIG. 1;

FIGS. 9a-b illustrate exemplary screen shots of additional features ofthe mobile application in FIGS. 3a-f according to embodiments of theinvention;

FIGS. 10a-l illustrate exemplary screen shots of additional features ofthe mobile application in FIGS. 3a-f according to embodiments of theinvention;

FIG. 11 and FIGS. 12a-i, 12j _1, 12 j_2, 12 j_3, 12 j_4, 12 k, 12 l_1,12 l_2, 12 m-q, 12 r_1, 12 r_2, 12 s-u illustrate exemplary screen shotsof additional features of the mobile application in FIGS. 3a-f accordingto embodiments of the invention;

FIG. 13 and FIGS. 14a, 14b _1, 14 b_2, 14 b_3, 14 b_4, 15 a, 15 b_1, 15b_2, 15 b_3, 16 a-c, 17 a-b illustrate exemplary screen shots ofadditional features of the mobile application in FIGS. 3a-f according toembodiments of the invention;

FIGS. 18a-f illustrate exemplary screenshots of the inventiveapplication implemented in connection with mobile mapping and locationapplications according to embodiments of the invention;

FIGS. 19a-f illustrate exemplary screenshots of the inventiveapplication implemented in connection with third-party promotional oron-demand service applications according to embodiments of theinvention;

FIGS. 20a-c illustrate exemplary screenshots of the inventiveapplication implemented in connection with a mobile dating applicationaccording to embodiments of the invention;

FIGS. 21a-c illustrate exemplary screenshots of the inventiveapplication implemented in connection with a mobile application foronline entertainment and/or video-sharing according to embodiments ofthe invention;

FIGS. 22a-b illustrate exemplary screenshots of the inventiveapplication of the implemented in connection with a mobile communicationapplication for e-commerce or online shopping according to embodimentsof the invention;

FIGS. 23a-b are exemplary screenshots of the inventive applicationimplemented with an email client application and a browser-based clientapplication according to embodiments of the invention;

FIGS. 24a-c are exemplary screenshots of the inventive applicationimplemented as a container application according to embodiments of theinvention; and

FIG. 25 is a high-level overview of an alternative exemplary system inwhich embodiments of the invention can be implemented.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS

The following description is presented to enable a person of ordinaryskill in the art to make and use the invention. Descriptions of specificdevices, techniques, and applications are provided only as examples.Various modifications to the examples described herein will be readilyapparent to those of ordinary skill in the art, and the generalprinciples defined herein may be applied to other examples andapplications without departing from the spirit and scope of theinvention. Thus, embodiments of the present invention are not intendedto be limited to the examples described herein and shown, but is to beaccorded the scope consistent with the claims.

The word “exemplary” is used herein to mean “serving as an example orillustration.” Any aspect or design described herein as “exemplary” isnot necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over otheraspects or designs.

Reference will now be made in detail to aspects of the subjecttechnology, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to like elementsthroughout.

It should be understood that the specific order or hierarchy of steps inthe processes disclosed herein is an example of exemplary approaches.Based upon design preferences, it is understood that the specific orderor hierarchy of steps in the processes may be rearranged while remainingwithin the scope of the present disclosure. The accompanying methodclaims present elements of the various steps in a sample order, and arenot meant to be limited to the specific order or hierarchy presented.

Embodiments disclosed herein are directed to methods and systemsallowing a company to market and advertise its brands, products and/orservices in mobile platforms by use of an application converting a userinput into a corresponding branded icon, logo or image and displayingthe same.

Particularly, this application receives a user input in a mobilecommunication application, such as SMS/text, IM, iMessage, and anysocial networking application, for example, Facebook and Twitter, anddisplays one or more branded icons, logos or images corresponding to theuser input for a user to select. In displaying multiple icons, logos orimages corresponding to the user input, one embodiment of theapplication sorts the displayed icons, logos or images in a pre-definedorder, for example, alphabetically according to the user input.

In one embodiment, a method for converting and displaying a user inputin a mobile device comprises: receiving a user input in a mobilecommunication application, said user input comprising a text entry ofone or more keywords; displaying one or more pre-defined image entriescorresponding to at least one of the keywords in the user input, eachimage entry comprising a branded icon or logo; receiving a userselection of said at least one of said pre-defined image entries fromthe displayed image entries; and in response to said user selection,performing one or more actions associated with said at least one of saidpre-defined image entries from the displayed image entries.

As partial implementation of the methods and systems, a mobile device isprovided according to one embodiment of the present invention.Specifically, the processor in the device is configured to receive auser input in a mobile communication application, determine whether saiduser input is associated with any branded icon, logo or image, and uponthe determination that said user input is associated with a particularbranded icon, logo or image, display said particular branded icon, logoor image and associated menu functions in said mobile communicationapplication.

It should be appreciated that the embodiments described herein areillustrated by referring to currently-prevalent text and messagingapplications such as SMS, MMS, IM, iMessage, Samsung Chaton, Facebook,Twitter, WhatsApp, Skype, WeChat, etc., the application of theseembodiments are not so limited, but can include any type of existing orfuture social network platforms that people may adopt in view of thecontinuous evolvement of technologies.

Referring to FIG. 1, illustrated therein is a high-level overview of anexemplary system 100 in which embodiments of the invention can beimplemented. As shown in FIG. 1, the system 100 comprises acommunications network 110 and a few entities connected to the network,including one or more web servers 120, one or more application servers130, a user database 140 and one or more terminal devices 150.

The communication network 110 can be one or a combination of thefollowing networks: the Internet, Ethernet, a mobile carrier's corenetwork (e.g., AT&T or Verizon networks), a Public Switched TelephoneNetwork (PSTN), a Radio Access Network (RAN), and any other wired orwireless networks.

The web server 120 is configured to host a website or web-basedapplication 122 (e.g., a text conversion website) for company users toregister and enter their logo information, for example, entriescorrelating certain keywords with their brands, branded icons, logos orimages. Preferably, the application 122 is configured to provide awebsite accessible over the Internet. Alternatively, it can also beembodied in a mobile form, e.g., capable of being downloaded andinstalled in a mobile device. All the company information, such as thecompany address, account, contact and payment, and all related logo datacan be stored in the user database 140, as with end user data, or inseparate databases that are connected to the network 110 and accessibleto the web server 120.

The application server 130 is configured with computer software,executable programs, algorithms, functional modules and processes, suchas the application 132 (e.g., the text conversion app) for converting auser input into corresponding branded icons, logos or images. Theapplication 132 is configured to not only display the branded icons,logos or images corresponding to the user input, but also providevarious menu functions allowing a user to select and search forbrand-related information, conduct an online search for branded productsand services, etc., as will be described in detail below. Theapplication 132 can be downloaded and installed in any mobile devicefrom a website, an App Store typical of iPhones, or any applicationutility provided by Android phones, Windows phones or any other mobiledevices. In practice, various versions and updates of the application132 can be provided in order to be compatible with different mobileoperating systems such as Apple iOS, Android or Windows. Once theapplication 132 is downloaded and installed in a user's mobile device,the device is able to interact with the application server 130 inproviding the function of converting words into logos.

Upon authorization of registered users of the application 132, theapplication server 130 is also capable of storing user information inthe user database 140 and accessing the same, whenever needed, tocompile user reports for company users. For example, the userinformation in the user database 140 can include the user's currentlocation, search history, name, age, gender, date of birth, homeaddress, occupation, ethnicity, phone number, email, etc. When aregistered user is using the application 132 through her/his terminaldevice, the user data can be collected and recorded in the database 140on a real-time basis. In an alternative embodiment, the application 132and the application server 130 can back up user data into the database140 on a regular basis, for example, every thirty minutes or everybusiness day.

As illustrated in FIG. 1, terminal devices or mobile devices 150comprise various smart phones such as iPhone 152, Android phones 154,Windows phones 156. However, the devices 150 are not so limited, but mayinclude many other network devices, including a fixed or mobilesubscriber unit, a pager, a cellular telephone, a personal digitalassistant (PDA), a smart phone, a laptop, a netbook, a tablet computer,a personal computer, a wireless sensor, consumer electronic devices, andthe like.

It should be appreciated that the system 100 in FIG. 1 is forillustration only and can be implemented with many variations withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention. For instance, the web server120 and application server 130 each can include multiple computers andstations distributed in different locations.

FIG. 2 shows exemplary web-based as well as mobile applications in whichembodiments of the invention can be implemented. For example, when theapplication 210 is enabled in the user's mobile device, it allows for aconversion of a user input (e.g., a text entry) into correspondingbranded icons, logos or images for display in mobile communicationapplications including various texting/messaging applications such asSMS 220, and social networking applications such as Facebook 230,Twitter 240 and Instagram 250 and many other applications 260 capable ofsending and receiving communications, for example, iMessage provided byApple Inc. on iPhone devices. It should be understood that theapplications in FIG. 2 are for illustration only, and the applicabilityof embodiments of the invention is not limited, but can include anyapplication installed and ready to use in the user's mobile device.

Turning to the exemplary screenshots in FIGS. 3a-f , a mobileapplication as illustrated in FIG. 2 for converting a user input into acorresponding branded icon, logo or image will be described. Asdemonstrated in FIG. 3a , when a text entry 310 (e.g., “Absolutely, meetat Starbucks”) is received, the application determines if the text entry310 contains any keyword or pre-defined term 312 that corresponds to oneor more branded icons, logos or images. This word or term 312 can be abrand name or trademark word, for example, “Starbucks” as shown in FIG.3a , or a generic search word, such as “coffee,” which may bepre-defined to correspond to a number of coffee brands, e.g., Starbucks,Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, etc. Once such a keyword or pre-defined term 312is identified, the application automatically displays one or morecorresponding icons, images or logos 320, from which the user can selectone to replace the word or term 312 in the text entry 310. For instance,as shown in FIG. 3b , if the user selects the logo image 322 to replacethe term “Starbucks,” the corresponding icon 314 will be displayed inthe text entry 310.

Back to FIG. 3a , in addition to displaying one or more branded icons,images or logos 320 corresponding to the user input, the applicationalso provides various menu functions 330 associated with the displayedbrand, such as a menu function 332 “Find Picture” for finding relatedlogo pictures, a menu function 334 “Location” for navigating or locatinga brand store in the map, a menu function 336 “Buy Now” for purchasingbranded products and/or services, and many other possible functions (notshown).

As shown in FIG. 3c , if a user clicks or touches on the menu function332 “Find Picture,” the application will display product pictures of the“Starbucks” brand so that the user can further select for a display inthe text entry 310. Or if the user selects (by clicking or touching on)the menu function 334 “Location” as illustrated in FIG. 3d , theapplication will display a store location for “Starbucks” in the map350. For example, the application may allow the user to “Find thenearest Starbucks” or to “Find the nearest coffee shop.” Furthermore,the user can use the “send the location” function 360 in FIG. 3e . As aresult of doing so, the user can send a location message 370, asillustrated in FIG. 3 f.

It should be appreciated that FIGS. 3a-f are for illustration only, andmany variations can be implemented as to how to display the brandedicons, logos and images for the user selection. In addition, many otherfeatures and functionalities can be implemented according to alternativeembodiments of the invention. For example, in one embodiment, the userinput received by the application may be in the form of a voice orspeech demand, and without converting the voice/speech input into textsor words, the application can directly convert it into one or morecorresponding branded icons, logos or images for display. In anotherembodiment, the displayed icons, logos or images (e.g., all theStarbucks logos 320 in FIGS. 3a-b ) can comprise not only 2D images, butalso 3D animations, audio and video clips, and many other multi-mediaforms. Also, the menu functions of the application are not limited tothe demonstrations in FIGS. 3a-f , and can include many more customizedservices, such as directing the user to the original website of thebrand for further browsing and shopping, allowing the user to transfermoney or perform online banking, recommending related products andservices, and so forth.

FIGS. 4a-b illustrate some additional features of the above-describedmobile application according to various embodiments of the invention. Asshown in FIG. 4a , when the user types a generic word 412, e.g.,“Pizza,” in the text entry 410 “Let's order Pizza,” the applicationintelligently detects the word 412 and determines this word isassociated with a number of pizza company brands. As such, theapplication displays the logos, icons and images of all related pizzabrands 420, for example, “Pizza Hut,” “Papa Johns” and “Dominos,” forthe user to choose. In one embodiment, the logos, icons or brandedimages are displayed in a paid-for advertising order, analogous to thesearch results via Google AdWords. Similar to the functions in FIGS.3a-f , the application also displays a number of menu functions 430,such as “Find Picture” 432, “Location” 434 and “Buy Now” 436. However,rather than choose a displayed icon or logo, the user may continue totype and finish the word “Pizza Hut” 414, as demonstrated in FIG. 4b .In this case, upon detection of the word change, the applicationautomatically eliminates other company icons, logos or brand images andonly displays those corresponding to the brand “Pizza Hut.” Then theuser can select a particular logo image, for example, the logo 422, toreplace the word entry 414.

FIG. 5 demonstrates another feature of the above-described mobileapplication according to embodiments of the invention. As shown in FIG.5, the application receives a text entry 510 (“Let's order delivery”)that contains a pre-defined word or term 512 “delivery.” Once theapplication determines that this term “delivery,” as predefined bycompany users, is associated with multiple branded icons, logos orimages, these icons, logos or images 520 will be displayed for the userto choose. Additionally, associated menu functions 530 will also bedisplayed.

Another unique and user-friendly feature of the above-described mobileapplication will be described with reference to the exemplaryscreenshots in FIGS. 6a-g . As shown in FIG. 6a , when the applicationis activated, for example, as indicated by the icon 610 on the key bar,a user can type any word in the text entry box. If the user types aletter “c” 620 as shown in FIG. 6b , all the icon or logo images 622corresponding to words containing “c” will appear on the key bar and inan alphabetical order. The key bar can be scrolled from left to right topresent more logo images. If the user keeps typing the letter “o” andthe word now becomes “co” 630, as shown in FIG. 6c , only the icon orlogo images 632 that correspond to the words containing “co” will remainon the key bar alphabetically. Similarly, as shown in FIG. 6d , when theuser continues to type and the word becomes “coc” 640, then theapplication will filter out more images to only leave the imagecorresponding to words containing “coc,” for example, the “Coca-Cola”logo image 642. At this time, one embodiment of the application allowsthe user to select the image 642 by tapping on it, and once the image istapped, the word “coc” may be deleted from the text entry, and as shownin FIG. 6e , the application presents an alert message for the user topaste the selected or tapped image into the text. In FIG. 6f , the usercan use existing keyboard functions like “select” and “paste” to insertthe logo image. As a result, the logo image 670 is inserted in the textentry as shown in FIG. 6 g.

It should be appreciated that FIGS. 6a-g are for illustration only, andmany variations can be implemented as to how to display the brandedicons, logos and images for the user selection. In addition, many otherfeatures and functionalities can be implemented according to alternativeembodiments of the invention. For example, the user may select an iconor logo image through other actions rather than tapping or pressing theimage.

In one embodiment, the icon or logo image is associated with a soundfile so that when the user selects the image (e.g., by tapping orpressing the image), the sound file will be played. As an example, the“Coca-Cola” image can be associated with a sound file that plays a brandslogan such as “share a coke.” So when the user presses or taps on the“Coca-Cola” image, the sound “share a coke” will be played. Also, afterthe user sends the text message with an icon or logo image insertedtherein, the message recipient can use the inserted image in a similarmanner, for example, by cutting and pasting the inserted image in hisown text entry, or pressing the inserted image to play the sound file.

Another embodiment of the present invention relates to stenographicmessage encryption. In this embodiment, the user can enable a particularoperating mode, for example, so-called “undercover mode” in which theuser writes and sends an image message to a recipient. Then therecipient, upon receiving the image message, can also enable the“undercover mode” to read the text message embedded in the image. In oneconfiguration, the “undercover mode” can be activated or verifiedthrough a user touch ID. The images with embedded text messages arepre-created or generic. Or users can create their own images with textmessages embedded in them.

FIG. 7 is a simplified functional block diagram of an exemplary computerprogrammed or configured to implement embodiments of the invention. Thisexemplary computer 700 can also be implemented as the web server 120 orthe application server 130 in the exemplary system of FIG. 1. It shouldbe noted that the computer 700 is for illustration only, and manycomputer components included therein may not be shown or described inthe following paragraphs.

As shown in FIG. 7, the computer 700 comprises a memory 710, a processor720 capable of accessing the memory 710, and one or more I/O interfacesor other peripheral interfaces 730 coupled to the processor 720.Exemplary external or peripheral devices include, without limitation, adisplay 740, a keyboard 760, a camera 780, a printer or scanner in acombined or separate form 750, a storage device 770 such as a USB ordisk, and a microphone or speaker 790. The memory 710 includes softwareprograms or drivers for activating and communicating with eachperipheral device. In one configuration, these components are connectedthrough one or more communication buses (not shown) in the computer,which may include circuitry that interconnects and controlscommunications between different components.

The memory 710 includes high-speed random access memory, such as DRAM,SRAM, DDR RAM and/or other random access solid state memory devices; andincludes non-volatile memory, such as flash memory devices, a magneticdisk storage device, and/or other non-volatile solid state storagedevices. The memory 710, or alternately nonvolatile memory device(s)within the memory 710, includes a non-transitory computer-readablestorage medium. While the memory 710 is shown as being separate from theprocessor 720, all or a portion of the memory 710 may be embedded in theprocessor 520. In some embodiments, the memory 710 stores the followingprograms, modules and data structures, or a subset thereof: an operatingsystem 712 that includes procedures for handling various basic systemservices and for performing hardware dependent tasks, and applications514, including one or more downloaded user applications 714 a andcorresponding APis 714 b for processing data received from other devicesand data to be transmitted to the other devices, security applications714 c, and/or multimedia applications 714 d. The processor 720 isconfigured to access and execute the instructions, programs,applications, and modules stored in the memory 710.

FIG. 8 is a simplified functional block diagram of an exemplary mobiledevice programmed or configured to implement embodiments of theinvention. This exemplary mobile device 800 can also be implemented inthe exemplary system of FIG. 1 for users to connect to the network anddifferent application servers in the network. It should be noted thatthe device 800 is for illustration only, and many device componentsincluded therein may not be shown or described in the followingparagraphs.

As shown in FIG. 8, the exemplary device 800 comprises a memory 810, aprocessor 820 capable of accessing the memory 810, a user interface 830,a communication interface 840, an Analog to Digital Converter (ADC) 850and a microphone or speaker 860 connected to the ADC. In oneconfiguration, all device components are connected through one or morecommunication buses (not shown) that may include circuitry thatinterconnects and controls communications between different components.

The memory 810 includes high-speed random access memory, such as DRAM,SRAM, DDR RAM and/or other random access solid-state memory devices; andincludes non-volatile memory, such as flash memory devices, a magneticdisk storage device, and/or other non-volatile solid-state storagedevices. The memory 810, or alternately nonvolatile memory device(s)within the memory 810, includes a non-transitory computer-readablestorage medium. While the memory 810 is shown as being separate from theprocessor 820, all or a portion of the memory 810 may be embedded in theprocessor 820. In some embodiments, the memory 810 stores the followingprograms, modules and data structures, or a subset thereof: an operatingsystem 812 that includes procedures for handling various basic systemservices and for performing hardware dependent tasks, communicationmodules 814 used for communicating with other devices or networkcontrollers via the communications interface 840, such as a SIM card orphone registration module 814 a and a signal processing module 814 b,and applications 816, including one or more downloaded user applications816 a, various social network or messaging applications 816 b, securityapplications 816 c and multimedia applications 816 d. All theseapplications may have associated API(s) (not shown) in the memory 810.

In some embodiments, the processor 820 is configured to access andexecute the instructions, programs, applications, and modules stored inthe memory 810. Through the user interface 830, the processor 820 iscoupled to one or more of the following: a touch screen 832, a keyboard834 and a display 836. The processor 820 is also coupled to atransceiver 842 via the communication interface 840.

FIGS. 9a-b illustrate some additional features of the above-describedmobile application according to various embodiments of the invention. Asshown in FIG. 9a , when a user types “pizza” in the text or messageentry space, the application brings up corresponding logos or brandedimages, as well as user options 910 and 920. The user option 910 allowsthe user to select all corresponding logos or images so that a string oflogos are displayed as replacement of the word “pizza.” When the userpressed the button 920, the application displays multiple correspondinglogos or images for the user to select one for display. For example,FIG. 9b shows all the logos or images corresponding to the word “pizza.”If the user selects one of them, the selected logo or image will beinserted in the text message as replacement of the word “pizza.”

When a logo or branded image is inserted in the text message, there canbe multiple ways for such insertion. For example, FIGS. 10a-l illustratea number of ways of inserting a logo or branded image in a text entryaccording to various embodiments of the invention. It should beunderstood that the ways for insertion in FIGS. 10a-l are forillustration only, and many other variations or equivalents can beapplied to achieve the same purposes.

As shown in FIG. 10a , the application may provide a user option thatallows for an automatic insertion of logos or images. If the userchooses to turn the option on, then the logo or branded image may beinserted in the text message automatically without requiring a separateuser action to select the logo. For instance, as shown in FIG. 10b , ifthe user types “Starbucks,” the word will be automatically replaced byits corresponding logo. In this case, the user does not need to cut andpaste the logo image or confirm a logo selection by touching, tapping orpressing the selected logo.

FIGS. 10c-d illustrates another way to insert a logo, which is, the usercan drag a logo, e.g., the Pizza Hut logo 1001, from the displayed listof logos and drop it into the text message.

A user can use certain swiping motions for a logo to be displayed orinserted in the text entry space. As an example, in FIG. 10e , the usercan make a swiping gesture 1002, and in response, the application bringsup the Nike logo.

FIG. 10f demonstrates that a user can insert a logo into the text entryspace through a speech or void input 1003. For example, if the user says“pizza” to the application, the corresponding logos will be displayed.Further, if the user says “pizza hut,” the Pizza Hut logo will beselected from displayed logos and inserted in the text message.

A user can also insert a logo by tapping or pressing a word in the textmessage until the word is changed into its corresponding logo(s). Asshown in FIGS. 10g-h , after the user presses the word “Starbucks” longenough, the word is replaced by its logo in the text message.

Some logos or branded images may have several variations. In that case,the application allows the user to select which version or variation ofthe logo to be inserted. As shown in FIGS. 10i-j , the “Starbucks” logo1005 may have different variations 1006, 1007 and 1008. In oneconfiguration, the user can keep pressing the word “Starbucks” until thevariation the user desired to use is displayed in the text message. Inanother configuration, the application may display a list of variationsfor the user to select from, as shown in FIG. 10i , and then, upon theuser selection, one of the variations can be displayed, for example, thelogo variation 1006, 1007 or 1008 as shown in FIG. 10 j.

Sometimes the user may want to insert the logo before or after thecorresponding word instead of replacing it. In this case, theapplication, as shown in FIGS. 10k-l , provides options for the user toselect whether to replace the word (e.g., 1010), or to insert the logobefore the word (e.g., 1011), or to insert the logo after the word(e.g., 1012).

As aforementioned, when the user selects a logo or branded imagecorresponding to a word in the text message, the user can further selectone of multiple possible user actions related to the logo. For example,the user is able to choose the nearest store of the displayed logo orbrand. FIGS. 11, 12 a-u illustrate a few more user actions that can beactivated upon a user selection of a logo or branded image according tovarious embodiments of the invention.

FIG. 11 presents a user selection bar comprising various user actions,such as “Use Icon,” “Nearest Store,” “Buy Now,” “Chat with Brand,” “ChatRoom,” “Related Logo,” “Secret Messages,” “Multimedia,” “Games,”“Marketing,” “Check In,” “Finding Articles,” “Share with Friends.” Itshould be understood that the user actions or functionalities presentedin FIG. 11 are for illustration only, and there can be other variationsor equivalents of these functions in different embodiments.

FIGS. 12a-b illustrates the user action or functionality of “Buy Now.”In the case of the “Starbucks” logo, when the user chooses this functionby clicking or touching the button on the selection bar as shown in FIG.12a , the application brings up “Starbucks” items for the user to shopfrom. As shown in FIG. 12b , the user can either buy the displayed itemor scroll down to see additional items. This function allows the user tobuy directly from the display list rather than a separate link to theproduct page.

FIGS. 12c-d present another function or user action of “Chat withBrand,” which allows the user to interact with the brand's customerservice via a separate chatting window on top of the message applicationin the mobile device. By doing so, the user can receive real-timecustomer service from the company providing the branded products orservices. For instance, if the user types “Starbucks” in the messagingapp, having the corresponding logo displayed or buying some “Starbucks”items, the user is able to interact with Starbucks customer servicedirectly through this function.

FIGS. 12e-f show another user action by which the user can create aprivate chat room or join a public chat room relating to the selectedlogo or branded image. Again, the chat room can be a separate chattingwindow or layover on the messaging app so that the user can use both atthe same time. For example, the user may type the football team“Patriots” in the text message, which allows the application to displayor replace the word with the corresponding logo. Then by choosing the“Chat Room” function, the user can either join a public chat room orcreate a private chat room for his friends to chat about the “Patriots”game performances.

FIGS. 12g-h show a function or user action that allows the user tochoose related logos or logo packs. For example, if the selected logo is“Starbucks” and the user chooses this “Related Logo” function, theapplication will show all logos related to “Starbucks,” or all logopacks related to Starbucks or coffee so that the user is presented withmore options to choose from.

FIGS. 12i-j show a “Secret Message” function related to the selectedlogo, which allows the user to create and send a steganographic message.In one embodiment, such steganographic or secret message is embedded ina logo or branded image. On the receiving end, if the recipient is ableto unlock it, he will be able to read the embedded message, otherwise hewill only see the logo or brand image. As shown in FIG. 12j _1 and FIG.12j _2, when the user selects the “Secret Message” function, he isallowed to create a message embedded in the selected logo, e.g.,Starbucks. Then, as shown in FIG. 12j _3 and FIG. 12j _4, when therecipient receives the logo message, he may tap the Starbucks logo tounlock the message, provided that he has the right fingerprint orpassword for his mobile device. If he does not meet the requirement forunlocking the device, then he will see nothing but the Starbucks logo.

FIGS. 12k-l show a “Multimedia” function that allows the user to sendaudio or video files that contain metadata (e.g., GIFs) associated withthe displayed or selected logo. For example, as shown in FIGS. 12l _1and 12 l_2, the user may send audios or videos related to the Starbuckslogo or coffee products.

The “Games” function, as presented in FIGS. 12m-n , allows the user tofind any games, conversations or things related to the selected logo.For instance, when the selected logo is Starbucks, this function willenable the application to bring up a video game related to coffeedrinks. As another example, if the selected logo is Celtics, thisfunction will enable the application to bring up the user's previousconversations about Celtics or football games, or any upcoming footballgames related to Celtics, or logos of other NBA teams.

The “Marketing” function, as presented in FIG. 120-p, allows the user toview or share the latest marketing videos related to the selected logo.For example, for the selected logo of Starbucks, the user can view therecent marketing video related to the brand or send the video to hisfriends. As another example, if the user types a movie title in the textmessage, this function allows the user to view or share the movietrailer with his friends.

The “Check In” function, as shown in FIGS. 12q-r , allows the user tocheck in at a store or place related to the selected logo for anypromotions or specials offered at the store. In the case of Starbuckslogo, this function allows the user to check in at a Starbucks store toreceive promotions.

The “Find Articles” function, as shown in FIGS. 12s-t , allows the userto have access to any articles related to the selected logo.

The “Share with Friends” function, as shown in FIG. 12u , allows theuser to share anything related to the logo, for example, any video,location, brand reviews, product, music, photos, songs, to his friendson his contact list.

Again, the above-described user actions or functions are only a fewexamples to be implemented in the inventive application. In practice,many more functionalities and variations can be implemented in differentembodiments. Besides using existing logos or branded images, theapplication is configured to allow for any creation, customization ormodification of logos. FIGS. 13, 14 a-17 b illustrate some exemplaryscenarios where a user can customize or create his own logos accordingto various embodiments of the invention. For example, as shown in FIG.13, the application provides such functionalities as “Upload Your Own”logos, “Create or Customize” logos, or “Access Your Library” of logos ona bar of user selections. Details of these functions will be describedbelow with references to FIGS. 14a-b, 15a-b, 16a-c and 17a -b.

FIGS. 14a-b present the “Create or Customize” functionality that allowsthe user to create or customize his own logos, stickers, contents, appsor packs within the keyboard. For example, as shown in FIGS. 14b _1 to14 b_4, this function allows the user to create a logo using his owninitials, e.g., “MC.” The created logo “MC” is saved in the userdatabase so that when the user types his name in the message, his namecan be replaced by the corresponding “MC” logo.

FIGS. 15a-b present the “Upload Your Own” functionality, which allowsthe user to upload his own logos. As shown in FIGS. 15b _1 to 15 b_4,once the user uploads his own logo, the uploaded logo will be stored inthe user database so that when the user types certain words using themessage app, this logo can be displayed, as with other existing logos.

A user can upload either existing logo images or create a logo or imageto upload into the user database. In one embodiment, as illustrated inFIGS. 16a-c , the user can use the camera function of the mobile deviceto take a photo of certain logos or branded images, for example, abusiness card with the Nike logo, and then application automaticallycreates an emoji or logo variation based on the photo. Such createdemoji or logo variation can be uploaded and stored in the user databasefor later use. In other embodiments, the application may allow the userto hand draw an image, or add texts in an image or add photo frames toan image, and so forth. Based on the user-created image will be createdinto an emoji (“emojified”) and uploaded into the user database.

FIGS. 17a-b show the “Access Your Library” functionality, which allowsthe user to access his library of logos for additional uses. Forexample, as shown in FIG. 17b , the user may select one of the Nikelogos in the library, apply the selected logo to a t-shirt and order thecustomized t-shirt with the logo on it. Similarly, the user can orderother products bearing the logo. The user can also use the logo forother purposes, like creating a screensaver, customize a photo, changethe logo color, etc.

In one embodiment, the inventive application is implemented with mobilecommunication applications that have mapping function and utilizelocation data (e.g., Google Maps, Google Earth, Apple Maps, Waze,Airline Apps, Uber, Airbnb, Foursquare, Yelp, running applications).According to this embodiment, the inventive application has any numberof the above-described functionalities and further filters theassociated branded icons, logos, and images to only display thoseassociated with brands that have geographical presence in the vicinityof the mobile device. The range of the vicinity can be arbitrarilydefined by a user or by the application's algorithm. FIGS. 18a-f showtwo examples using Snap Map and Apple Maps to demonstrate thisembodiment.

In FIGS. 18a-c , a first example is presented wherein the inventiveapplication is able to perform one or more of the followingfunctionalities: (1) intelligently detect any keyword or pre-definedterm associated with corresponding brands; (2) display a list of brandedicons, logos, and images that are associated with the keyword orpre-defined term and have geographical presence in the vicinity of themobile device; (3) allow a user to select a brand icon, logo, or image;and (4) display on the map locations of places associated with theuser-selected branded icon, logo, or image.

Referring to FIG. 18a , the mobile device location 1802 is shown on amap 1804 in an application with mapping function 1800 (e.g., Snap Map).In FIG. 18b , when a text entry 1810, such as “Starbucks”, is enteredinto the search box 1811, the inventive application intelligentlydetects and recognizes that the text entry “Starbucks” 1810 is apre-defined term associated with a corresponding brand (i.e., Starbucks)and has store locations near the mobile device. The inventiveapplication then displays a list of branded icons, logos, and images1814 that are associated with “Starbucks” 1810 for the user to selectfrom. In FIG. 18c , once the user selects a branded icon 1816 from thelist of icons, logos, and images 1814, at least one location forStarbucks is shown on the map 1804.

FIGS. 18d-f show another example wherein the inventive application isconfigured to display marketing information such as promotions andspecials offers for brands in the geographical vicinity of the mobiledevice. As shown in FIG. 18d , the location 1860 of the mobile device isshown in Apple Map 1850 and a search box 1861 is displayed at the bottomof the map 1850. In FIG. 18e , once a text entry 1862 is received in thesearch box 1861, the application intelligently detects that the textentry 1862 contains a keyword or pre-defined term associated withcorresponding brands (e.g., “coffee”) and displays a list of brandedicons, logos, and images that are associated with the keyword orpre-defined term 1862 and have geographical presence in the vicinity ofthe mobile device. In this example, the application finds brandsassociated with the keyword or pre-defined term “coffee” 1862 anddisplays a list of associated icons for brands that have geographicalpresence in the vicinity of the mobile device. In FIG. 18f , when theuser selects one of the branded icons 1864, which in this example is“Oren's” 1866, a button 1868 linked to a promotional code for theselected branded icon 1866 appear in an information box. By touching orclicking on the button 1868, a user can perform actions such as redeemthe promotional code and/or access the selected brand's application orwebsite.

According to another embodiment, the inventive application isimplemented with mobile communication applications to share links toand/or marketing information for third-party on-demand serviceapplications such as food ordering. Shown in FIGS. 19a-f are twoexamples that demonstrate this embodiment by using food orderingapplications Caviar and Postmates.

FIGS. 19a-c illustrate exemplary screenshots of the on-demand servicefunctionality in a messaging application 1900 such as SMS. As shown inFIG. 19a , when the application receives a text entry 1910 containing akeyword or pre-defined term 1912 that is associated with an on-demandservice such as food ordering (e.g., “order” or “delivery”), theapplication intelligently detects the keyword or pre-defined term 1912.Once the application has determined that the keyword or pre-defined term1912 is associated with food ordering, the application brings up astring of branded icons 1914 associated with various third-party foodordering applications (e.g., Postmates or Caviar). In FIG. 19b , if anicon 1916 (e.g. Caviar) is selected, an information box 1918 appearswith the option for the user to share links and/or marketinginformation, such as a promotional code, associated with the selectedbrand. In this example, a button 1920 is displayed in the informationbox 1918 to allow the user to share a link and a promotional code forCaviar. As shown in FIG. 19c , once the button 1920 has been pressed, alinked icon 1924 and a promotional code 1926 for Caviar are displayed inthe text message 1922. A link may be embedded in the linked icon 1924,which if pressed would redirect the user to the Caviar application orits website to redeem the promotional code 1926.

FIGS. 19d-f illustrate exemplary screenshots of the on-demand servicefunctionality in the search function of a social networking application1940 such as Snapchat. As shown in FIG. 19d , when the search box 1951receives a text entry 1950 containing a keyword or pre-defined term 1952that is associated with food ordering (e.g., “order” or “delivery”), theinventive application intelligently detects the keyword or pre-definedterm, and then brings up a list of branded icons 1954 associated withvarious third-party food ordering applications (e.g., Postmates orCaviar) for the user to select from. In FIG. 19e , if a branded icon1955 (e.g. Postmates) is selected, an information box 1956 appears withthe option for the user to share a link and/or marketing information,such as a promotional code, associated the selected brand. In thisexample, a button 1958 is displayed in the information box 1956 to allowthe user to share a link and a promotional code for Postmates. In FIG.19f , once the user presses the button 1958, the link and thepromotional code for the selected food ordering application are sharedthrough the social networking application 1940. In this example, a linkis embedded in the shared content 1960, which if pressed would redirectthe user to the Postmates application or its website and allow thepromotional code to be redeemed.

In addition to food ordering, the inventive application may also beimplemented with other on-demand service applications. For example, theinventive application may be used to share links to and/or promotionalinformation for cab-hailing applications such as Uber or Lyft,hospitality services such as Airbnb, and housekeeping services such asMaidsApp.

In another embodiment, the inventive application may be implemented m amobile communication application for lifestyle or online datingapplications such as Match.com, Coffee Meets Bagel, Tinder, etc. FIGS.20a-c illustrate exemplary screenshots of a user-interface 2000, whereinthe inventive application is implemented with the online datingapplication Match.com. When a text entry 2010 (e.g., “Let's meet atStarbucks”) is received, the application determines if the text entry2010 contains any keyword or pre-defined term 2012 that corresponds toone or more branded icons, logos or images. This word or term 2012 canbe a brand name or trademark word, for example, “Starbucks” as shown inFIG. 20a , or a generic search word, such as “coffee”, which may bepre-defined to correspond to a number of coffee brands, e.g., Starbucks,Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, etc. Referring to FIG. 20b , once such a keywordor pre-defined term 2012 is identified, the application automaticallydisplays one or more corresponding icons, images or logos 2020, fromwhich the user can select one to replace the word or term 2012 in thetext entry 2010. As shown in FIG. 20c , if the user selects the logoimage 2022 to replace the term “Starbucks”, the corresponding icon 2014will be displayed in the text entry 2010.

In one embodiment, the inventive application can be implemented with amobile communication application for online entertainment, such asvideo-sharing applications (e.g., YouTube, Snapchat, Tencent Video) ormusic applications (e.g., Spotify, Pandora). By using the inventiveapplication, a user may choose to display branded icons, logos, orimages in the caption or the comments of a video or music file. FIGS.21a-c show an example of the inventive application implemented withSnapchat, wherein a user is able to share a video with a caption thatdisplays one or more branded icons, logos, or images.

As shown in FIG. 21a , when a user records a video 2102 on Snapchat 2100and types a text entry 2110 “Hungry” into the message entry space, theinventive application intelligently recognizes “Hungry” as a keyword orpre-defined term 2112. The inventive application then brings up a listof branded icons, logos, and images 2114 for the user to select from. Inthis example, the list 2114 contains, among others, an image 2122associated with the word “Hungry”, a branded icon for the food-orderingapplication Caviar 2124, and another branded icon for the businessreview application Yelp 2126. If the user selects the image 2122, asshown in FIG. 21b , then the image 2122 will be displayed, as shown inFIG. 21c . If the user selects one of the branded icons for Caviar 2124or Yelp 2126, the user will have the option to share a promotional codeand/or link to the third-party application in a manner similar to thatis shown in FIGS. 19d -f.

In yet another embodiment, the inventive application may be implementedin a mobile communication application for e-commerce or online shopping,such as Amazon, eBay, or Apple Store, allowing a user to post reviews inthe shopping application and perform a number of other functions such asinserting branded icons, logos or images for display.

The exemplary screenshots in FIGS. 22a-b show one such instance where auser leaves a product review and recommends a different brand byincorporating a logo of the recommended brand in the review. As shown inFIG. 22a , when a text entry 2210 (e.g., “Don't use Aveeno, useLubriderm”) is received in the review section for a product 2230, theapplication determines if the text entry 2210 contains any keyword orpre-defined term 2212 that corresponds to one or more branded icons,logos or images. This word or term 2212 can be a brand name or trademarkword, for example, “Lubriderm” as shown in FIG. 22a , or a genericsearch word, such as “lotion,” which may be pre-defined to correspond toa number of other lotion brands. Once such a keyword or pre-defined term2212 is identified, the application automatically displays one or morecorresponding icons, images or logos 2220, from which the user canselect one to replace the word or term 2012 in the text entry 2010. Asshown in FIG. 22b , if the user selects the logo image 2222 to replacethe term “Lubriderm,” the corresponding logo for Lubriderm 2014 will bedisplayed in the text entry 2010.

In another embodiment, the inventive application and all itsfunctionalities described herein are not limited to instant messageapplications, and may be implemented with store-and-forward types ofmessages, such as email. For example, FIGS. 23a-b illustrate two suchexamples wherein the inventive application and its functionalities areimplemented with an email client application (e.g., Microsoft Outlook)and a browser-based email client (e.g., Gmail and Yahoo! Mail).

As shown in FIG. 23a , when text is received in an email clientapplication 2300 such as Microsoft Outlook, the inventive applicationperforms the steps as described above to determine whether the textentry 2310 contains any keyword or pre-defined term 2312 thatcorresponds to one or more branded icons, logos or images. If such akeyword or pre-defined term 2312 is found, the application displays oneor more corresponding branded icons, logos or images, and provides theuser the option to replace the keyword or predefine term 2312 with oneof the above branded icons, logos or images, or perform any number ofthe other functionalities described in other parts of this specificationsuch as allowing the user to find other related logo pictures (i.e.,“Find Picture” 2332), locate a brand store on a map (“Location” 2334),purchase branded products and/or services (“Buy Now” 2336), etc. FIG.23b shows that, alternatively, the inventive application may also beimplemented with a web-browser application to allow a user to use theinventive application with browser-based email clients 2350 (e.g.,Gmail).

Embodiments of the inventive application and associated functionalitiesas described herein can be implemented in not only a stand-aloneapplication, but also a container application, as shown in FIGS. 24a-c .When a user clicks the application button 2410 in FIG. 24a , in oneembodiment, the inventive application displays a list of applications2430 that the user has recently used as shown in FIG. 24b . The user canenter a text entry in the search box 2420 in FIG. 24b . Based on thetext entry, for example, a search word “star” 2422, the applicationdetermines which applications may correspond to the search word and thenonly displays those applications. This makes it easier for the user toquickly select the application desired to use, for instance, the“Starbucks” application 2424.

FIG. 25 presents an alternative framework for implementing variousembodiments of the inventive application. As compared to FIG. 1, thesystem framework in FIG. 25 includes a search engine aggregator 160,which is configured to communicate with the text conversion application132. In operation, when the application 132 receives a text entrycontaining a pre-defined brand word or search term, the search engineaggregator 160 searches on the internet instead of the pre-existingdatabase (e.g., user database 140) to identify related logos, icons orbranded images. In this embodiment, a larger number of logos, icons orbranded images available over the internet can be easily incorporated inthe inventive application.

While various embodiments of the invention have been described above, itshould be understood that they have been presented by way of exampleonly, and not by way of limitation. Likewise, the various diagrams maydepict an example architectural or other configuration for thedisclosure, which is done to aid in understanding the features andfunctionality that can be included in the disclosure. The disclosure isnot restricted to the illustrated example architectures orconfigurations, but can be implemented using a variety of alternativearchitectures and configurations. Additionally, although the disclosureis described above in terms of various exemplary embodiments andimplementations, it should be understood that the various features andfunctionality described in one or more of the individual embodiments arenot limited in their applicability to the particular embodiment withwhich they are described. They instead can be applied alone or in somecombination, to one or more of the other embodiments of the disclosure,whether or not such embodiments are described, and whether or not suchfeatures are presented as being a part of a described embodiment. Thusthe breadth and scope of the present disclosure should not be limited byany of the above-described exemplary embodiments.

In this document, the term “module” as used herein, refers to software,firmware, hardware, and any combination of these elements for performingthe associated functions described herein. Additionally, for purpose ofdiscussion, the various modules are described as discrete modules;however, as would be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art, twoor more modules may be combined to form a single module that performsthe associated functions according embodiments of the invention.

In this document, the terms “computer program product”,“computer-readable medium”, and the like, may be used generally to referto media such as, memory storage devices, or storage unit. These, andother forms of computer-readable media, may be involved in storing oneor more instructions for use by processor to cause the processor toperform specified operations. Such instructions, generally referred toas “computer program code” (which may be grouped in the form of computerprograms or other groupings), when executed, enable the computingsystem.

It will be appreciated that, for clarity purposes, the above descriptionhas described embodiments of the invention with reference to differentfunctional units and processors. However, it will be apparent that anysuitable distribution of functionality between different functionalunits, processors or domains may be used without detracting from theinvention. For example, functionality illustrated to be performed byseparate processors or controllers may be performed by the sameprocessor or controller. Hence, references to specific functional unitsare only to be seen as references to suitable means for providing thedescribed functionality, rather than indicative of a strict logical orphysical structure or organization.

Terms and phrases used in this document, and variations thereof, unlessotherwise expressly stated, should be construed as open ended as opposedto limiting. As examples of the foregoing: the term “including” shouldbe read as meaning “including, without limitation” or the like; the term“example” is used to provide exemplary instances of the item indiscussion, not an exhaustive or limiting list thereof; and adjectivessuch as “conventional,” “traditional,” “normal,” “standard,” “known”,and terms of similar meaning, should not be construed as limiting theitem described to a given time period, or to an item available as of agiven time. But instead these terms should be read to encompassconventional, traditional, normal, or standard technologies that may beavailable, known now, or at any time in the future. Likewise, a group ofitems linked with the conjunction “and” should not be read as requiringthat each and every one of those items be present in the grouping, butrather should be read as “and/or” unless expressly stated otherwise.Similarly, a group of items linked with the conjunction “or” should notbe read as requiring mutual exclusivity among that group, but rathershould also be read as “and/or” unless expressly stated otherwise.Furthermore, although items, elements or components of the disclosuremay be described or claimed in the singular, the plural is contemplatedto be within the scope thereof unless limitation to the singular isexplicitly stated. The presence of broadening words and phrases such as“one or more,” “at least,” “but not limited to”, or other like phrasesin some instances shall not be read to mean that the narrower case isintended or required in instances where such broadening phrases may beabsent.

Additionally, memory or other storage, as well as communicationcomponents, may be employed in embodiments of the invention. It will beappreciated that, for clarity purposes, the above description hasdescribed embodiments of the invention with reference to differentfunctional units and processors. However, it will be apparent that anysuitable distribution of functionality between different functionalunits, processing logic elements or domains may be used withoutdetracting from the invention. For example, functionality illustrated tobe performed by separate processing logic elements or controllers may beperformed by the same processing logic element or controller. Hence,references to specific functional units are only to be seen asreferences to suitable means for providing the described functionality,rather than indicative of a strict logical or physical structure ororganization.

Furthermore, although individually listed, a plurality of means,elements or method steps may be implemented by, for example, a singleunit or processing logic element. Additionally, although individualfeatures may be included in different claims, these may possibly beadvantageously combined. The inclusion in different claims does notimply that a combination of features is not feasible and/oradvantageous. Also, the inclusion of a feature in one category of claimsdoes not imply a limitation to this category, but rather the feature maybe equally applicable to other claim categories, as appropriate.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method for converting and displaying a userinput in a mobile device, comprising: receiving a user input in a mobilecommunication application, wherein said user input comprises a textentry including a predefined term; displaying one or more image entriescorresponding to the predefined term in the user input; receiving afirst user selection comprising a selected image entry from thedisplayed image entries; and in response to said user selection,performing one or more actions associated with the selected image entry,the one or more actions comprising at least one of displaying apromotional message associated with the selected image entry andactivating a third-party application associated with the selected imageentry.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein: said one or more actionscomprises displaying a promotional message associated with the selectedimage entry; and the method further comprises allowing a user to selectthe promotional message and share the promotional message via the mobilecommunication application.
 3. The method of claim 1, wherein: said oneor more actions comprises activating a third-party applicationassociated with the selected image entry; and said third-partyapplication is selected from the group consisting of a mobile shoppingapplication, a mobile service delivery application and an online datingapplication.
 4. The method of claim 1, wherein said mobile communicationapplication comprises a container application.
 5. A non-transitorycomputer readable medium comprising executable instructions, theexecutable instructions, while executed, causing a processor to performsteps comprising: receiving a user input in a mobile communicationapplication, wherein said user input comprises a text entry including apredefined term; displaying one or more image entries corresponding tothe predefined term in the user input; receiving a user selectioncomprising a selected image entry from the displayed image entries; andin response to said user selection, performing one or more actionsassociated with the selected image entry from the displayed imageentries, the one or more actions comprising at least one of displaying apromotional message associated with the selected image entry andactivating a third-party application associated with the selected imageentry.
 6. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 5,wherein: said one or more actions comprises displaying a promotionalmessage associated with the selected image entry; and the executableinstructions, while executed, cause the processor to perform a furtherstep of allowing a user to select the promotional message and share thepromotional message with others via the mobile communicationapplication.
 7. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 5,wherein said one or more actions comprises activating a third-partyapplication associated with the selected image entry, said third-partyapplication selected from the group consisting of a mobile shoppingapplication, a mobile service delivery application and an online datingapplication.
 8. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 5,wherein said mobile communication application comprises a containerapplication